Do We Really Want This Team to Make the Playoffs?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Not sure where to put this, so it goes here...

 

Does anyone else find it at least slightly suspicious that the Stros decide to pitch 3 tomato cans just in time for the Crew to roll into town?

 

I'd like the Cubs to make it, but it seems like the deck is stacked against us, whether just by happenstance or by something more.

 

Cecil Cooper used to play for the Brewers....conspiracy theorists, anyone?

[Soul]

Not sure where to put this, so it goes here...

 

Does anyone else find it at least slightly suspicious that the Stros decide to pitch 3 tomato cans just in time for the Crew to roll into town?

 

I'd like the Cubs to make it, but it seems like the deck is stacked against us, whether just by happenstance or by something more.

 

Cecil Cooper used to play for the Brewers....conspiracy theorists, anyone?

 

It certainly seems suspicious. It's not like the Stros have been in this thing for the past 2 weeks (post Sept callups). They've had no chance for awhile, yet they pitch their good pitchers against us and wait for the Crew to unveil their tomato cans?

 

Does the league even care about this or are they just going to let it slide? Can they do anything?

 

I don't want to cry conspiracy without knowing the facts. I just want to know what valid reasons there are for the timing. Is it the new GM -- ?

[CubColtPacer]

Not sure where to put this, so it goes here...

 

Does anyone else find it at least slightly suspicious that the Stros decide to pitch 3 tomato cans just in time for the Crew to roll into town?

 

I'd like the Cubs to make it, but it seems like the deck is stacked against us, whether just by happenstance or by something more.

 

Cecil Cooper used to play for the Brewers....conspiracy theorists, anyone?

 

It certainly seems suspicious. It's not like the Stros have been in this thing for the past 2 weeks (post Sept callups). They've had no chance for awhile, yet they pitch their good pitchers against us and wait for the Crew to unveil their tomato cans?

 

Does the league even care about this or are they just going to let it slide? Can they do anything?

 

I don't want to cry conspiracy without knowing the facts. I just want to know what valid reasons there are for the timing. Is it the new GM -- ?

 

I'm not sure exactly why he did that. I do know that the Houston GM called both Hendry and the league before he did that to explain himself. You should read the Floyd rant on Cubs.com though-players don't usually respond to things like this, but he did and I think expressed the fans point perfectly.

 

BTW, the Pirates have now changed their rotation this weekend specifically to try to beat the Cubs. which probably makes me more upset than the Astros thing. It's one thing to pitch your normal starters, but to mix up your rotation just to play spoiler?

[Sammy Sofa]

Doesn't Oswalt's wife, y'know, HAVING A BABY kind of deflate any "conspiracy theories?"

[Soul]

Not really. If the Stros were in a pennant race you can bet your bottom dollar she would have induced labor for the right time so he wouldn't miss a start.

 

Plus, it's 3 starters, not just Oswalt. 3 junkies just in time for the Crew to roll into town. Don't the Stros have a series or two left that don't matter in the pennant race where they could pitch these clowns?

[biittner77]

If the Cubs can't beat the Pirates best 3 pitchers then they don't deserve to win the division.. Also, given the nature of the Cubs lineup, I like their chances against a pitcher they've already faced than a callup making his ML debut.

[UMFan83]

Not really. If the Stros were in a pennant race you can bet your bottom dollar she would have induced labor for the right time so he wouldn't miss a start.

 

Plus, it's 3 starters, not just Oswalt. 3 junkies just in time for the Crew to roll into town. Don't the Stros have a series or two left that don't matter in the pennant race where they could pitch these clowns?

 

But they're not in a pennant race. I think the competitive balance should lie somewhere between playing like a playoff race and rolling over.

 

Did the Phillies complain when we trotted out this lineup last September:

 

Pierre, CF

Bynum, 2B

Ramirez, 3B

Jones, RF

Murton, LF

Moore, 1B

Blanco, C

Cedeno, SS

Walrond, P

 

Besides, who the heck cares if Woody Williams was taken out of the rotation. Do you really think he was going to shut down the Brewers?

[3Dog]

Maybe it's something as simple as the other NL Central clubs getting sick of 1/2 their home crowd being Cub fans, so they want kick the Cubs right where it counts.

[Soul]

Not really. If the Stros were in a pennant race you can bet your bottom dollar she would have induced labor for the right time so he wouldn't miss a start.

 

Plus, it's 3 starters, not just Oswalt. 3 junkies just in time for the Crew to roll into town. Don't the Stros have a series or two left that don't matter in the pennant race where they could pitch these clowns?

 

But they're not in a pennant race. I think the competitive balance should lie somewhere between playing like a playoff race and rolling over.

 

Did the Phillies complain when we trotted out this lineup last September:

 

Pierre, CF

Bynum, 2B

Ramirez, 3B

Jones, RF

Murton, LF

Moore, 1B

Blanco, C

Cedeno, SS

Walrond, P

 

Besides, who the heck cares if Woody Williams was taken out of the rotation. Do you really think he was going to shut down the Brewers?

 

Last year? That lineup was probably better than our freaking starters.

 

Yes, I think woody williams and roy oswalt would have had a much better chance of stopping the crew than a couple clowns. Yes.

 

The whole point is, if they were still in it they wouldn't be doing this, and also that they weren't in it before either when they faced us and we got their better starters. There's an inequality here that can't be muted.

[UMFan83]

Not really. If the Stros were in a pennant race you can bet your bottom dollar she would have induced labor for the right time so he wouldn't miss a start.

 

Plus, it's 3 starters, not just Oswalt. 3 junkies just in time for the Crew to roll into town. Don't the Stros have a series or two left that don't matter in the pennant race where they could pitch these clowns?

 

But they're not in a pennant race. I think the competitive balance should lie somewhere between playing like a playoff race and rolling over.

 

Did the Phillies complain when we trotted out this lineup last September:

 

Pierre, CF

Bynum, 2B

Ramirez, 3B

Jones, RF

Murton, LF

Moore, 1B

Blanco, C

Cedeno, SS

Walrond, P

 

Besides, who the heck cares if Woody Williams was taken out of the rotation. Do you really think he was going to shut down the Brewers?

 

Last year? That lineup was probably better than our freaking starters.

 

Yes, I think woody williams and roy oswalt would have had a much better chance of stopping the crew than a couple clowns. Yes.

 

The whole point is, if they were still in it they wouldn't be doing this, and also that they weren't in it before either when they faced us and we got their better starters. There's an inequality here that can't be muted.

 

Woody Williams is terrible. Why not take their chances with one of their prospects and try to catch the Brewers 'off guard'. I was told the reason that they are doing this now is because they were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Monday. I know thats a joke because they were mentally done a month ago, but it is what it is.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Doesn't Oswalt's wife, y'know, HAVING A BABY kind of deflate any "conspiracy theories?"

 

If it stood alone, yes. but coupled with pulling Williams from the rotation at the same time does make it appear a bit suspicious.

[Soul]

Not really. If the Stros were in a pennant race you can bet your bottom dollar she would have induced labor for the right time so he wouldn't miss a start.

 

Plus, it's 3 starters, not just Oswalt. 3 junkies just in time for the Crew to roll into town. Don't the Stros have a series or two left that don't matter in the pennant race where they could pitch these clowns?

 

But they're not in a pennant race. I think the competitive balance should lie somewhere between playing like a playoff race and rolling over.

 

Did the Phillies complain when we trotted out this lineup last September:

 

Pierre, CF

Bynum, 2B

Ramirez, 3B

Jones, RF

Murton, LF

Moore, 1B

Blanco, C

Cedeno, SS

Walrond, P

 

Besides, who the heck cares if Woody Williams was taken out of the rotation. Do you really think he was going to shut down the Brewers?

 

Last year? That lineup was probably better than our freaking starters.

 

Yes, I think woody williams and roy oswalt would have had a much better chance of stopping the crew than a couple clowns. Yes.

 

The whole point is, if they were still in it they wouldn't be doing this, and also that they weren't in it before either when they faced us and we got their better starters. There's an inequality here that can't be muted.

 

Woody Williams is terrible. Why not take their chances with one of their prospects and try to catch the Brewers 'off guard'. I was told the reason that they are doing this now is because they were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Monday. I know thats a joke because they were mentally done a month ago, but it is what it is.

 

Yeah I think it's a complete joke. Let's just try to hold serve tonight and see what Atlanta and SD do.

[circlecitycub]

I can't wait to see what kind of effort the Cards put forth next week.

[Soul]

I can't wait to see what kind of effort the Cards put forth next week.

 

I think LaRussa lamented a September lineup we put out there one year.

 

Payback?

[RegulusBlue]

I do not want this team to go to the postseason. It hurts my brain to imagine us in the playoffs with Jones and Floyd stealing PT from younger, better players, and our horrid management of C.

 

Making the playoffs will reward Hendry and Piniella for their idiocy, and I just don't see anything good about rewarding their asinine behavior and beliefs about baseball.

 

I think the Cubs will be worse off in 5 years if we make the playoffs and Hendry is retained than if we miss, the new owner cleans out the front office, and a new direction is taken.

[Soul]

Making the playoffs will reward Hendry and Piniella for their idiocy, and I just don't see anything good about rewarding their asinine behavior and beliefs about baseball.

 

You're lumping Piniella in with Hendry? I don't see them as the same, at all.

 

How is Piniella an idiot? I don't think we'd even be in the race right now without some of the moves he's made. He's the one who put Marmol as primary setup man -- that right there saved the season.

 

He also quickly plunked Izzy on the bench and moved Theriot in, something that probably also resulted in several losses turning into wins.

 

Idiot? Don't think so.

[SouthSideRyan]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

[3Dog]

I can't wait to see what kind of effort the Cards put forth next week.

 

Probably the same kind when they laid down for Houston the last week of 2004, to help the Astros win the WC.

[Fro]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

It blows my mind that people think the higher-ups will still be there once the new owner takes over. This is the last year the Tribune is going to own the team.

[SouthSideRyan]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

It blows my mind that people think the higher-ups will still be there once the new owner takes over. This is the last year the Tribune is going to own the team.

 

Yes, but the current higher ups are likely the ones calling the shots most of the offseason which means short of a 2-8 finish, Hendry stays.

[Keener98]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

It blows my mind that people think the higher-ups will still be there once the new owner takes over. This is the last year the Tribune is going to own the team.

 

There is a very good chance this sale doesnt go thru untill right before the start of next season.

[oldcubsfan]

Aside from the "blah blah anything can happen blah 2006 Cardinals blah blah" reasons....

 

....do we really want this team to make the post season? do we want anyone in the new ownership, the front office, the media, etc. thinking this team is doing anything right? do we want this insanely mediocre team to be be rewarded in any way, shape or form?

 

this isn't sour grapes. i just don't know what we accomplish by making the playoffs. outside of an outright WS victory, it just seems useless.

Congrats. IN MY OPINION, this is the dumbest post in the history of NSBB. Once again, congrats. How anyone can think this post has merit is well beyond the comprehension of the normal thinking members of life.

[CUBZ99]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

At what point does the NL Central start to get respect? Sure they haven't sent the wildcard team in the last two years, but the last two NLCS champs were from the Central. I'm sure there aren't too many teams that are going to laugh off a best of 5 or 7 game series against the Cubs or the Brewers.

[SouthSideRyan]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

At what point does the NL Central start to get respect? Sure they haven't sent the wildcard team in the last two years, but the last two NLCS champs were from the Central. I'm sure there aren't too many teams that are going to laugh off a best of 5 or 7 game series against the Cubs or the Brewers.

 

Last 3 NL champs. I don't quite see how your response follows the part you bolded. My post had nothing to do with the strength of the Central. But the Central does regularly have 2 horrendous teams, and there's usually a 3rd that's not far off.

[CUBZ99]

It blows my mind that some people continue to believe this season won't be seen as a smashing success by higher ups whether the Cubs make the playoffs or not. Contending within the division, it's good enough for them.

 

At what point does the NL Central start to get respect? Sure they haven't sent the wildcard team in the last two years, but the last two NLCS champs were from the Central. I'm sure there aren't too many teams that are going to laugh off a best of 5 or 7 game series against the Cubs or the Brewers.

 

Last 3 NL champs. I don't quite see how your response follows the part you bolded. My post had nothing to do with the strength of the Central. But the Central does regularly have 2 horrendous teams, and there's usually a 3rd that's not far off.

 

Sure there are bad teams, but the Central is not the patty cake division that I wrongfully thought you were making it out to be.

 

As far as the "higher ups", this year is do or die for Hendry. If the Cubs don't make it to the playoffs there is no viewing this season as a success. Not with all of the money and hype that was invested with this team.

 

I do think that the marketing department and John McDonough(sp?) have done a remarkable job and will be commended regardless of what the outcome of the season is.